OOI in the news as the Trump admin weighs dismantling it amid new ship-safety tech for North Atlantic right whales. Brief bio: NSF-led ocean observing network.
The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is being descoped, with the National Science Foundation removing most in-water infrastructure off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland by 2027. The 900+ sensors have provided real-time ocean data for over a decade, informing hundreds of publications. A remaining UW seafloor cable network will continue to monitor seismic activity. Experts warn the move will reduce capacity to observe below-surface ocean changes, potentially impacting understanding of climate signals ahead of an El Niño event.